How to Make Fence Post Tops

Capping the posts helps your new fence last a lifetime.

Adding caps to your fence posts may seem more like an aesthetic than a structural consideration, but it's both. It gives the fence a more elegant appearance and, just as important, it protects the end grain of the posts from rain and rotting. You can buy caps at any home improvement outlet, but each one costs several dollars, and that can add up on a long fence. The expense is unnecessary, because you can cut your own caps from 2-inch lumber using a compound miter saw. You'll have all the caps you need in a few minutes.

1

Fashion the caps from 2-inch lumber a little wider than the posts on which you're going to place them. If you're capping standard 4-by-4-inch posts, 2-by-6-inch decking lumber works well.

2

Cut the lumber into square pieces, using a compound miter saw.

3

Set the angle of the miter saw to 45 degrees to cut bevels on all four sides of each square. If you don't want the bevels to extend all the way to the base of the cap, position the wood about 3/4 inches shy of the cut-line on the saw. Lay a piece of masking tape at that position and line up the wood with the edge of the tape to get identical bevels on each edge.

4

Hold the wood firmly against the back fence when making each cut, keeping your hand as far away from the blade as possible. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from splinters.

5

Sand each cap lightly with 150-grit sandpaper to remove splinters. Drill a 1/4-inch pilot hole in the center of each one so you can drive a nail through it without fear of splitting the wood.

6

Coat the top of a post with construction adhesive. Center a cap on it, and drive a single 16d galvanized nail through the hole and into the post. Repeat with all the posts.

Things You Will Need

2-inch lumber

Compound miter saw

Masking tape

Safety goggles

150-grit sandpaper

Construction adhesive

16d galvanized nails

Tip

If you prefer more ornate caps, shape the edges of the square with a router and a decorative bit, such as an ogee or cove. Be sure to clamp the cap to a solid surface when routing it.

Create two-tiered caps by cutting squares from narrower lumber and gluing them to the tops of the larger squares with construction adhesive.